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Georgia defenders want to turn around turnover record

ATHENS - Nothing changes momentum in a football game faster than turnovers. When the ball changes hands, field position reverses and confidence levels rotate. A timely theft of possession can make up for a lot of previous mistakes.

Georgia's defenders don't think they're forcing enough.

Through the first two games, Georgia only has taken the ball away one time. In last week's 16-12 loss to South Carolina, it didn't grab any.

"That's been kind of disappointing to us," Georgia cornerback Bryan Evans said. "It's our responsibility to get turnovers and we haven't really been doing that so we can take advantage of it."

Georgia (1-1) plays Western Carolina (0-2) at 1 p.m. Saturday in a nonconference game at Sanford Stadium.

Maybe Georgia's biggest forced turnover thus far in the season never officially happened. In the second quarter of last week's game, Brandon Miller jumped on a fumble during a South Carolina punt return. But an illegal shift penalty rubbed out the play. If not for the penalty, Georgia would have taken possession at about the South Carolina 25-yard line with a chance to tie the game going into halftime.

"Last year we got a lot of turnovers, but we were giving them away like candy," Georgia coach Mark Richt said. "This year we're not giving them up. But we're not getting any. Some times you've got to give credit to the other team. Last week we never put Blake (Mitchell) in a position where they're behind so they felt like they had to take some chances. But so far I'm not concerned. The better you play on offense, the tougher you're going to be on the other team's offense to keep pace."

Georgia's only forced turnover in 2007 was a fourth-quarter interception by Kelin Johnson against Oklahoma State.

Only one forced turnover in '07

Last season Georgia forced 30 turnovers, second only to Kentucky in the SEC. But Georgia also gave the ball away 31 times in 2006. This year the opportunities have not materialized. Georgia is now tied with Arkansas for last in the Southeastern Conference with just one forced turnover and Arkansas has played one less game.

"Last year we forced a lot of turnovers," linebacker Dannell Ellerbe said. "But that was good because we were giving up a lot of turnovers, too, so it evened out. On defense we're emphasizing getting the ball out and everybody getting to the ball."

Although Georgia has only forced one turnover this season, the ledger is even because the Bulldogs have only given up one turnover on offense. Georgia's final drive against South Carolina last week ended with an interception.

"It's something that we stressed today (Monday). We've got to create more plays," defensive end Roderick Battle said. "If you win the turnover battle, you're setting yourself up to win games. Last year it seemed like we created them in bundles and they came in big games. That hasn't happened yet."

Coming up with a turnover can erase previous errors. Ideally, defenders would like to return a turnover directly into a touchdown. But that doesn't happen very often. Turnovers' main impact is robbing one sideline of momentum and giving it to the other.

"When you're playing defense, you should get at least one in a game," Georgia safety CJ Byrd said. "That's our goal is to create at least one a game and change the game around."

Turnovers can come either through interceptions or by knocking the ball loose and jumping on it. Georgia has forced four fumbles this season but has not recovered one yet.

Georgia has not created many situations where turnovers can happen and when they have happened, the Bulldogs didn't get a favorable bounce.

"It's a little of both," Ellerbe said. "We're getting to the ball. But we're not getting there as aggressively as we should. We're not really trying hard enough to knock the ball out and strip the ball. In the games to come, you'll start see more of that."

Defenses can create fumbles by attacking the ball during a tackle. Defenders can try to claw the ball from a runner's hands while simultaneously pulling him to the ground.

Pressure on the quarterbacks can cause rushed and inaccurate throws that often turn into interceptions. Georgia has been able to get to quarterbacks this season. The Bulldogs have made seven sacks in two games, which is tied with LSU for tops in the SEC.

"Now we're going to try to focus on trying to strip the ball," Evans said. "We want to play the ball better in the air and cause fumbles and things like that."